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James Hunter Shotwell letter to his wife, Margharete Ross Shotwell, describing his search for gold in Alaska, August 7, 1898

My Dear, Dear Wife,We sailed from Port Clarance [sic] about 2 o'clock yesterday. Today at noon we are within a hundred miles of Cape Blossom where we are to land. For the first time since starting on our journey we have a fine favorable wind and are making 9 or 10 nots [sic] an hour. This is the fifth letter written you and will not probably have a chance to send another it may be for several months[,] and what seams [sic] worse to me, I may not receive any letters you write untill next year. But if so it can't be helped, let us be chearfull [sic] and hopefull [sic]. Pray dear Bunn that good fortune will favor us. I did not tell you that we came very near going ashore on the trip, as we were going into Dutch Harbor. [T]he fog being thick and the land partially hidden the Captain mistook the entrance to a little cove for the entrance to Dutch Harbor and sailed in with a strong wind blowing on shore. As we got further in

Prospectors taking the "All Water Route" to the Klondike were very familiar with Port Clarence and Cape Blossom, both stops along the journey. Punctuation has been added to the transcription to improve readability.

My Dear, Dear Wife,We sailed from Port Clarance [sic] about 2 o'clock yesterday. Today at noon we are within a hundred miles of Cape Blossom where we are to land. For the first time since starting on our journey we have a fine favorable wind and are making 9 or 10 nots [sic] an hour. This is the fifth letter written you and will not probably have a chance to send another it may be for several months[,] and what seams [sic] worse to me, I may not receive any letters you write untill next year. But if so it can't be helped, let us be chearfull [sic] and hopefull [sic]. Pray dear Bunn that good fortune will favor us. I did not tell you that we came very near going ashore on the trip, as we were going into Dutch Harbor. [T]he fog being thick and the land partially hidden the Captain mistook the entrance to a little cove for the entrance to Dutch Harbor and sailed in with a strong wind blowing on shore. As we got further in